Montana, 2022

High Wind in Montana, February 4, 2022

February 4, 2022 · NWS GGW · 1 event in 1 county or zone

An approaching frontal system from the west and a weak disturbance riding down the Canadian Rockies was just strong enough to bring high winds from aloft down to the surface, especially downstream of higher elevation locations, such as southwest Phillips County.

Where it happened

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GGW wrote it up.

An approaching frontal system from the west and a weak disturbance riding down the Canadian Rockies was just strong enough to bring high winds from aloft down to the surface, especially downstream of higher elevation locations, such as southwest Phillips County.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Glasgow, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 4, 9:52 AM MST, 4 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 4, 9:52 AM MST, 4 hours 40 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Glasgow MT
952 AM MST Fri Feb 4 2022

.DISCUSSION...
Increased today's pops for the northeast zones and winds tonight
with a focus on Phillips county. Rest of forecast looked good. TFJ

Previous Discussion...
Surface high will be over eastern Montana and western North Dakota
this morning with enough cold air to maintain the Wind Chill
Advisory over the NE part of the forecast area. Wind chills have
been cold enough early this morning to add Richland County to the
Wind Chill Advisory.

The high will move to the east this afternoon and a warm front
will move into the western zones of the forecast area as a
shortwave trough moves into western Montana. This will create a
wide range in temperatures across the region this afternoon.

The wave moves through NE Montana tonight. The warm front will
continue east this evening which will result in rising
temperatures and gusty west wind developing. Many areas in the
east will end up having their high temperature for today between
10 pm and midnight. 850 mb winds increase to 50-55 knots this
evening but mixing will be limited except in the Little Rockies.
Will issue a High Wind Warning for SW Phillips County for tonight.
Other areas could see west winds gusting as high as 50 mph. Light
snow chances will limited to the north closer to the surface low
track across southern Saskatchewan.

The system moves to the east Saturday morning. It will be windy
and warmer with gusty west winds continuing but 850 mb winds
diminish to 30-35 knots which will possibility of high winds
unlikely.

Upper ridge moves into the area Sunday and Monday. Monday will be
a very warm day with highs in the 40s and 50s. Glasgow record high
of 51 for Feb 7 may be broken.

Shortwave trough and mainly dry cold front Monday Night will bring
somewhat cooler temperatures Tuesday and Wednesday with gusty NW
winds.

&&

.AVIATION...
Updated: 1700z.

Flight conditions: VFR. Brief MVFR at KSDY Saturday morning aft
12z is possible.

LLWS: Will develop this evening and continue most of tonight.

Discussion: High pressure will move to the east today. A warm
front will move east across the TAF sites this evening with gusty
west winds developing. There will be mainly mid level clouds today
with some low clouds and a chance of light snow at times tonight.

Winds: East to SE 5 to 15 knots this morning and south to SE this
afternoon. Wind shifts to the west this evening and increases to
20 to 30 knots with higher gusts overnight.

&&

.GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Wind Chill Advisory until 2 PM MST this afternoon for Daniels...
Eastern Roosevelt...Northern Valley...Richland...Sheridan...
Western Roosevelt.

High Wind Warning from 5 PM this afternoon to 6 AM MST Saturday
for Southwest Phillips.

&&

weather.gov/glasgow

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Little Rocky Mountains

When
February 4, 2:32 PM MST to 8:34 PM MST
Where
Little Rocky Mountains forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
48.259, -107.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sustained wind speeds of at least 40 mph were common in the Little Rocky Mountains from early afternoon to the nighttime hours. The peak wind gusts of 58 mph were recorded between 7:14 PM and 7:15 PM at the Malta South US-191 DOT site (MTMAL).

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Montana in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, February 2022

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1006922.